NPA donates towards treatment of Takoradi gas explosion victims
The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has donated GH¢150,000 to the Western Regional Coordinating Council to aid in the treatment of victims of the May 9 gas explosion in Takoradi.
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Presenting the cheque to the Western Regional Minister, Dr Kwaku Afriyie, the Chief Executive Officer of the NPA, Mr Alhassan Tampuli, noted that, “As a regulator of the downstream industry, we are concerned about the safety of industry players and consumers. We are working to improve the situation. We must all join hands to see our industry become safer. It is also our social responsibility to assist the victims in times like this,” he stated.
According to Mr Tampuli, “We were devastated when we heard the news. We will ensure that safety standards are adhered to by both service providers and consumers,’’ he added.
Mr Tampuli commended the Western Regional Coordinating Council for their support and regular visit to casualties in the explosion at various hospitals to wish them well.
Also present at the ceremony was the deputy Western Regional Minister, Mrs Gifty Eugenia Kusi, who doubles as the chairperson of the 11-member committee tasked to investigate the causes of the explosion.
Appreciation
Dr Afriyie expressed gratitude to the NPA for the gesture and said the donation could be used to settle the bills of the victims.
He gave an assurance that all donations to the victims would be put to judicious use. “We will make sure that the monies are used for the intended purpose,” the minister stated. He appealed to other organisations and individuals to also come to the aid of the victims.
Background
It will be recalled that on Tuesday, May 9, 2017, a stationary gas tank and a gas discharging tanker both exploded at the Ghana Household Utilities Manufacturing Company Limited along the Sekondi-Takoradi highway and left over 100 people injured in the process.
Most of the victims were admitted to various hospitals, including the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital, the GPHA Hospital, Takoradi Government Hospital, Cape Coast Teaching Hospital and the 37 Military Hospital in Accra.
